


A Secret for Soulmates

by shameless_mulitfandom_trashbag



Category: Amazingphil - Fandom, Dan Howell - Fandom, Daniel Howell - Fandom, Danisnotonfire - Fandom, Phan, Phil Lester - Fandom, Philip Lester - Fandom, dan and phil
Genre: (( I guess, (( sorta, AU, Highschool AU, M/M, My first proper more than one chapter fic, Soulmate AU, fake relationship au, fuck it up babes, same age au, slight angst in the last chapter, storyline? also changable, tag game is lit, tags subjest to change, whatever, written in 2 nights, y e e t
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-14 18:37:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shameless_mulitfandom_trashbag/pseuds/shameless_mulitfandom_trashbag
Summary: Seventeen y/o Daniel Howell, on his last day of highschool is anxious to meet his soulmate. When he finds them, trouble is bound to arise.





	1. A Good Day For Soulmates

Almost everyone was born with it. A set of words somewhere on their body. Everyone’s was coloured differently. Everyone's said something different. It was the mark of your soul mate.

Dan scratched at the place over the back of his right hand. Blue letters that he’d memorized were looped over the back of it in someone’s soft handwriting. “What is love?” He often found his hands brushing over it, scratching at it, tracing the letters. He ran his hand over it, more aware of what he was doing after scratching it. He looked at it, wondering what she’d be like.

He’d always made better friends with girls- besides Mark -and he’d never noticed anything in him that denoted being gay. So even if his soulmate was platonic or romantic, he assumed they’d be a she. He spaced out, leaning back in his chair and daydreaming again. What would she look like, be like, think of him? He knew her eyes would be blue, of course. Blue like the loopy handwriting on his hand.

His screensaver flashed on and he woke up from his daydreams. He swiveled the mouse about to rid the screen saver and leaned back onto the desk. He had to finish this essay before tomorrow morning. Why was there an essay due the last day? No one _did_ that. And what had he been thinking, letting Mark sign them both up for the first hour English class? Even if it was a second hour English he could have written the essay in his first hour. He bull-shited three more paragraphs and saved the draft. It was a lost cause. In bed, his hands traced the letters as if looking for an image in them.

~~~

“Dan.” 

...

“Dan.”

...

“Dan!”

Dan snapped out of his space-out. He’d been doing that a lot lately.

“You finished your essay, yeah?” Mark asked, shifting his backpack.

“Ugh, yes, mum, god.” He groaned, shoving Mark’s shoulder. Mark laughed good-naturedly.

“Alright, alright. I’m just checking. You alright, though?” He questioned.

“Are you trying to be a psychiatrist? I thought you wanted to be an engineer.” Dan retorted without answering.

“It’s your soulmate, again, isn’t it? Or, lack of one so far, I guess.”

“I thought you were trying to make me feel better, Mark, jesus.” 

“What!? I haven’t found mine, yet, either!” Mark cried. An older man raking leaves out of his yard scowled at them. They usually did get scowls on their walk to school; Dan would say something and Mark would over react loudly. The first and last scowl of the year always warranted a highfive, and so they shared one.

“Alright! A good end to a good year!” Mark crowed. Dan laughed a little and rolled his eyes. Mark was his closest friend. They’d grown up on the same street and had walked to school together all their lives.

“Hey,” Mark said, insinuating and elbowing Dan repetitively in the ribs. Dan swatted his elbow away and shifted his bag. “I hear there’s a group of kids from the other campus in our assembly today.”

“Ok, and?” Dan asked even though he knew what Mark was trying to say. 

“Nothing, nothing.” The other said, making a fake- imperious face. Dan rolled his eyes. “In other news, excited for the last-day speeches and soulmate assembly?” Dan groaned.

“The same assembly, nearly word for word, every year, year after year. Great.” 

“Well, y’know, I’m sure it’s at least one word different each year.” Probably wrong and shrugging, Mark said.

They approached the gates of the school and each spit into the slightly-wilting flower bed. It was tradition that was supposed to give you luck in meeting your soul mate. It hadn’t worked any of the three years before, but Dan was feeling like it was a good day for soulmate hunting. Or he was getting stirred up about it again: he had been tracing his fingers over his marl all morning.

They droned through their classes, splitting after their first and second hour English and Maths and into Conceptual Physics and Beginning Law studies. After their fourth hour, History, and the lunch hour, they trudged to the gym, where assemblies were held. Mark tugged Dan up the steps to sit on the edge of the seats designated for students that’d already been going to this school. 

Dan looked over to see Mark picking at the collar of his shirt. He was obviously shaking to meet his soulmate, too. His mark was quick grey-blue handwriting spelling out ‘Just wanting love,” over his heart. Dan could sympathize but he didn’t think they’d find their soulmates in the soulmate assembly. That would imply destiny or some other nonsense- Was he allowed to call destiny nonsense? They did, after all, live in a world where they knew where they’d find their soulmates. He’d seen movies about worlds where people didn’t have that and had to guess if they were soulmates. But that kind of world seemed dystopian and chaotic.

“And that’s fair, right? Just wanting love.” An irish accent caught his attention. Mark froze. 

“The real question is: What is love?” a soft british accent asked back.

“Baby, don’t hurt me,” Dan blurted out impulsively.

“No more!” Mark added, in tune to the beat and to Dan’s impulsivity. They were both in shock. A floof of green hair leaned closer to Dan and Mark. 

“Holy shit,” He whispered.

“Oh my goodness!” The boy sat next to him gasped. The two pairs kept looking to each other, catching glances and smiles during the assembly. 

“Alright, I know we’re all antsy to get home, you’re free to go. Have a good summer.” The principal- a tired little woman with thick glasses and short grey hair- announced into the mic.

Mark was clung the green-haired boy like a magnet instantly. They began talking away a storm, both loud and staying stood on their spot on the bleachers whilst everyone else filed out of them to go home for the day. They also happened to be in the way of Dan making contact with his soulmate.

“Mark.”

"And to find you like this? In the assembly itself!?"

“Mark.”

"I don't like throwing words around, especially not ones like fate, but-"

“Mark!”

“What?” Mark asked, looking around. “Oh! Sorry, sorry! This is Jack, and, uh, told ya so, didn’t I?” He claimed, looking slightly smug as he and Jack scooched out of the others’ way.

“You didn’t tell me, you implied to me.” Dan told him as he made his way to his soulmate. 

“I’m Phil.” Dan’s soulmate said. He wore a pastel shirt, white jeans and a bright smile. Dan thought instantly of his entirely black wardrobe. Phil stuck a polite hand out and Dan shook it.

“I’m Dan, hi.” Dan said a bit awkwardly. “Do you… wanna go get something to eat?” Preparation their whole lives, and Dan didn’t know how to ask his soulmate to hang out the first time they met. Phil agreed and they made their way to a local diner.

~~~

Dan sat on one side of a booth with a barely-touched plate of fries and melting shake in front of him. Phil had shown him the “Don’t hurt me,” in his handwriting and warm-brown letters on his left hand.

“And I always wondered what I’d be doing that would make you think I’d hurt you!” Phil laughed. Dan thought it as a laugh that would clear away the clouds from any sky. “I think the biggest thing was wondering what my soulmate would be like, though.” 

“Jesus, I get that.” Dan said sympathetically shaking his head. “And then, there was wondering if it’d be romantic or not, and now I know that it’s platonic.” He said a little awkwardly. Phil nodded in agreement. He'd been right. That day had been a good day for soulmates.


	2. The First Problem That Will Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan's headed over to his soulmate's house to hang out. What could go wrong?

Direct Message To User pastelbug  
_________________________________  
denial: **hey**  
denial: **its Dan**  
denial: **Marks soulmate.... Jack I think? anyways he sent me your user**

pastelbug: **hey dan :D**  
pastelbug: **since were soulmates and everything**  
pastelbug: **I was thinking we could hang out again!**

denial: **of course we were going to hang out again**  
denial: **no one sees their soulmate once and then never looks at them again**

pastelbug: **haha yeah. is My house ok? tomorrow?**

denial: **alright cool**

pastelbug: **ill send u my address give me a sec :p**  
pastelbug: **ps: look at this!! ( c:p ) two in one!**  
_________________________________

Dan received the address and said good night. He turned off his desktop and layed down in bed. He was really glad he’d met Phil. They were perfect soulmates, clicking like yin and yang. He was glad for Mark, too. He was opening his window to take a breather earlier when he saw Mark look up to him and wink. Mark had been holding the hand of Jack as they walked into his house. Dan flung himself into bed. He was excited to see him again tomorrow, even though they’d just spent that lunch hour together with their canoodling friends.

~~~

Dan showed up at the sent address, nerves shaking him to the core. He rang the doorbell and stood bouncing on his heels with anxious energy. Phil opened the door with a lopsided smile brighter than the sun itself. He invited him in and walked him through a nice and neutrally coloured living room. They stopped in a yellow and white kitchen and Phil sat him in a dining chair. “Promise to be right back!” He swore, crossing his heart as he left the room. Dan could smell cookies baking.

Phil came back into the room with his mum, her following behind him. 

“Hello there!” She cried and hugged Dan, shocking him. “I’m Phil’s mom! I’m so happy he’s found you, you’re a perfect couple, I can tell already!” Over her shoulder, Dan cast Phil a confused look.

“Uh, Mum? Your cookies are going to burn.” Phil said, saving Dan from the hug. 

“Oh, right, of course!” She pulled away and pulled on oven mitts. She took the cookies out and left them on the stove. “I’ll leave you two to yourselves, then.” She left kitchen, taking off her apron as she did.

“So…” Dan stumbled awkwardly. Phil pulled an apologetic look.

“Sorry about that. I told her I finally met my soulmate and she assumed it was a romance thing and she got so excited… I couldn’t break her heart like that.” He apologized. Dan could understand. Having a platonic soulmate meant a rare, if nonexistence chance of finding love. And, then, even if you did find love it would never be as strong a bond as your soulmate.

“So, what are we going to do?” Dan asked.

“Well…” Phil tried looking innocent. He did it well. “I was hoping we could pretend to be romantic. Just for a little while, whilst I try to figure out how to tell her?” 

Dan already knew he wouldn’t be able to say no.

“Oh, alright. Only because we’re soulmates, Phil, I swear to god.” Dan relented after pretending to mull it over. Phil pulled him into a hug. He had a grip tighter way tighter than his over-bearing mother did.

“Thank you, so, so, so much, Dan.” Phil said, practically glowing. Dan did not regret the choice.

“Alright, alright, but you still owe me.” Dan claimed, putting a hand on his chest. “And you can start with a cookie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways sorry these chapters are short. they'd be longing but this is a series so all in all this is going to have more words total than my longest fic, probably.


	3. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan might have to stay the night....

“Hey, Phil.” Dan said into his phone, a few weeks after he’d gone over to his house. They’d avoided each other’s homes but still hung out together every day from almost dawn to sunset. It was a blessing that they'd met right as summer started.

“Hi, Dan!” The speaker chirped happily. Dan swiveled around in his chair.

“My parents are going on vacation next week,” Dan said tiredly. “And even though I’m seventeen, they don’t want me in the house alone for three weeks straight. Would your mum be alright with me staying over?” 

“Like a sleepover! Of course! I’ll go ask her, actually! Right now! Hold on, I’ll put you on speaker and hide you in my pocket.” Dan heard the small _beep_ of speaker phone being turned on and the phone being tucked into Phil’s pocket. There were a few minutes of rustling and then a stop.

“Hey, Mum?” Phil’s voice came through muffled.

“Yes, dear?” 

“Dan’s parents are going to be away for a few weeks and I was wondering if he cou-” Phil was cut off.

“Of _course_ Dan can stay with us, Philly!” 

“Thanks, Mum!” After that, there were a few more minutes of rustling and then the beep of the speaker phone being turned off.

“So, she said yes.” Phil said. Dan could practically hear him smiling.

“I heard, I’ll tell my mum and pack a suit case.”

“Alright! See you tomorrow, Dan!”

The phone clicked, signifying the end of the call. Dan leaned back into his chair and rubbed his face. Phil’s mum still thought they were a couple and Dan’s mum thought they were a couple, too. He still wondered how his mum had gotten his own mum’s phone number. Mums Magic, probably.

He told his mother he was staying with Phil, met with as much excitement as Phil’s mom had and he packed a bag.

 

~~~

The week went by quickly. Sooner than he’d thought possible he was on Phil’s doorstep with a suit case and a bundle of anxiety. Phil ushered him in before his mother could prey on him by asking how he was, hugging him and over-feeding him baked goods. Phil had taken Dan’s suitcase and pulled him by the hand up the stairs into his room.

His room was in the attic. The ceiling was plastered in glow-in-the-dark stars, his bed had blue and green checkered bedding and colourful posters around the room. He threw his arms open wide.

“Welcome to my room, Dan!” He set the suitcase inbetween his dresser and standing mirror. Dan laughed and threw himself on the bed.

“My room is the _actual_ opposite of yours. It’s all monochrome and black and white.” Dan said. Phil made a face and gestured to their outfits. Phil was in a bright blue tee-shirt and pale jeans; Dan was in a black hoodie and black jeans. Dan shrugged.

Phil came over and layed next to Dan. 

“I get the feeling,” Dan said. “That it’s going to be a long few weeks.”

 

~~~

Phil stretched, bones cracking. He was in his pyjamas, blue trousers and a white top. Dan stifled a yawn. 

“Bed time?” Phil asked. Dan nodded. Phil walked over to the bed from where he had stretched and made flappy-hand movements at Dan. “Scoot!” He demanded.

‘ _Sharing a bed? Isn’t that a lot? Even for soulmates?_ ’ Dan’s heartbeat went out of control as he scooted to the wall. Phil shook his head.

“I’d sleep on the floor whilst you were here, but my mum has been known to poke her head in whilst I sleep, and I wouldn’t want her getting suspicious.” Phil groaned. Dan nodded, his pulse slowing. Phil shoved into the bed with him. They lay there, shoulder to shoulder.

Dan’s heart beat may have slowed but as Phil fell asleep and shifted in his sleep or made soft sounds, he could feel it contract. ‘ _Oh, god, no_ ’ he thought as realization took his sleepless self over. He shoved it down. He looked up to the glowing ceiling and forced himself into a fitful sleep.

 

~~~

“Daaaaan,” A voice called softly from outside the cloud of sleep. Who was that? Why were they waking him up? “Daaan, wakey-wakey.” The voice was enticing; as kind and warm it sounded, it almost sounded better than staying asleep. He rolled over and took a deep breath. He didn’t recognize the feeling of the bedding or the smell. The bedding was soft, rather than his own silky, and it smelled like someone had bottled sunshine and vanilla and poured on the bed. He cracked an eye open.

Phil was crouched next to the bed, eye level with Dan, already dressed and smiling. Dan smiled sleepily back at Phil.

“C’mon, Mum’s made a whole feast for breakfast.” He said, still softly. “I’ll give you a second to wake up the rest of the way and get dressed, and the bathrooms on the second floor, first door on your right.” He left the room, closing the door softly. Dan stretched, breathing in Phil’s smell. 

Phil’s smell. 

Dan woke the rest of the way up like water had been poured on his head. He shook his head and reprimanded himself. He only appreciated the smell because it was his platonic soul-mate. A best friend smell. He pulled his shirt and trousers off, and threw on a clean set of clothes. He huff-huffed into his cupped hand to test the smell of his breath. ‘ _Yeesh_ ’ he thought, grabbing his tooth brush out of his bag.

He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth before going downstairs.

‘ _Ok. Wow. Holy mother of god. Mother of Phil, actually. Still._ ’ his thoughts scrambled. In the kitchen, Mrs. Lester was stood at the stove. On the counters was a bowl of fruit, a stack of pancakes, a pan filled with eggs, more scrambled than Dan- however shockingly- and a pitcher of juice. ‘ _Phil really wasn’t kidding when he’d said a_ feast, _jesus._ ’

Phil beamed at him from the table where he was cutting a pancake into more manageable bit sizes.   
“Morning, love.” He said, brightly and motioned to the seat next to him on the bench. Dan was startled for a moment, but then remembered. Right. Pretending to be a couple. How hard could this be? Surely not that hard. Dan blew a kiss Phil’s way, thinking how ridiculous he must looked doing it, and grabbed a plate. He dumped a hill of eggs onto it and poured a glass of juice- a peculiar shade of pink-purple and sat next to Phil. Their non-dominant hands awkwardly clung together. 

“There’s muffins in the oven, sweethearts, and I’ve got to go to work. Pull them out for me when it beeps, will you?” Phil’s mum asked. Phil made a muffled but assuring sound through a mouth full of pancake and she smiled, then pulled her apron off and rushed out. Phil swallowed and pulled his hand away. ‘ _Youch. That almost stings… Not that it should, Daniel James Howell, he is your_ friend. _Just a friend._ ’ He scolded himself. 

Why should he like Phil in any other way? Besides, of course, his smile. And his laugh. And the way he’d always hug Dan the moment they saw each other. Almost basically no reasons.

“Wow, that felt _super_ weird.” Phil said. He took another bit of pancakes.

“Very.” Dan agreed, digging into his mound of eggs. 

“My poor mum, though. I don’t know how I’m going to tell her, Dan.” He shook his head and took a sip of juice. Dan followed in suit, finding that it tasted like raspberries and passionfruit. Huh.

“Well, I’m here for three weeks. We can find a way together. What are friends for, right?” Dan said. Phil checked his phone.

“Funny, Jack says the same thing. He and Mark want to meet us for icecream later.”

“Oh, sounds fun.” Dan checked his own phone. Mark had texted him the same thing. “Mark says he’ll pay for me but I’m not going to let him.”

“That’s my job, right, fake-boyfriend?” Phil asked, smiling deviously and nudging Dan with his shoulder. Dan laughed and rolled his eyes.

 

~~~

Mark already doing backflips off of a bench onto the ground for his cheering soulmate when Phil and Dan arrived. He caught sight of them, did one last backflip and ran over to them. Jack tagged along. 

“Hey, guys.” Mark greeted them. Jack made faces over Mark’s shoulder and Phil tried to hide his smile but Mark still turned around. Jack made an obviously fake innocent face but as soon as Mark had turned he was back up to his mischief. “Anyways, we were waiting for you to get our icecream.”

“Yup! And you came just in time! I was almost getting bored of waiting. Backflips done by a cutie can only being entertaining for so long.” Jack agreed.

“Alright,” Phil said laughing.

They ordered their icecream from the little stand next to the bench Mark had been showing off on. Strawberry with two scoops and rainbow sprinkles for Phil and chocolate-dipped chocolate for Dan. Mark was going to order pistachio, but Jack pointed out that the taste would conflict with his mint if they kissed so he ordered rocky-road calling to attention that it still might not taste any better than the pistachio. Dan had rolled his eyes and joked ‘couples, amiright?’ under his breath to Phil who scolded him with a laughter-filled ‘Dan!’

They strolled around the park but finally settled around the swing set. Jack had finished his icecream already- a memorable experience since he’d instantly demanded a kiss afterwords, which stopped the entire group from walking for at least fifteen seconds. Mark had shrugged and called it NWS: newly-weds syndrome. Jack was now lying in the grass. Mark was sat next to him. Dan and Phil sat in swings.

“So, what’s up with you guys?” Mark asked, “I know the NWS is kinda choking you guys, figured we’d give you a break and let you choke us, instead.”

“How diplomatic, and yet I’ll still be scarred for life.” Dan said playfully. “Have you ever seen your childhood friend snogging your soulmate’s childhood friend’s face off? It’s a shocking experience.”

Mark made an implicative face, and said “I haven’t _yet_.” Jack laughed loudly at Mark’s attempt at a joke.

“Mark, you already know we’re just platonic.” He said, frustrated. “We get enough of it from our mums.” 

“Your moms?” He asked

“Our mums both think we’re romantic.” Phil admitted sheepishly. Jack and Mark were sent into a tizzy of laughter.

“But- hold one, wait, oh my god,” Mark said, wiping away tears. “Actually? Oh my god and Dan, Dan- you’re staying there for three more weeks right? Holy hell.” 

“Jesus Christ, guys.” Jack said, his face splitting from his smile. “You should really fix that soon.”

“I’m workshopping ideas, Jack,” Phil said, sticking his nose slightly and jokingly in the air.

“We.” Dan inserted. “We are workshopping ideas.”

“’We’ is something you’re both going to have to get used to.” Mark said, quoting the assembly’s script. “When you meet your soulmate, you are no longer an individual. You become counterpar-” Jack interrupted him with a loud yawn.

“We’ve- and that means all four of us, Markie- all heard it about a bajillion times.” Jack told him. Dan groaned in agreement.

“Anyone else feeling a nap?” Phil asked, actually yawning. Mark nodded.

“Let’s all go back to my house, the couches are empty.” Phil said, popping his back as he stood.

 

~~~

Back at Phil’s house, Mark and Jack haphazardly threw themselves together onto one sofa and fell asleep nearly immediately. Dan and Phil awkwardly situated themselves. Phil was sat in the corner diagonally and Dan rested his head on his chest, taking up the rest of the sofa. They fell asleep and Dan dreamt of swinging so high he launched himself into the stratosphere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways this is what Im doing with my life now R I P  
> support my new life mission  
> kudos & comments


	4. The Inevitible Laser Tag Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ive noticed that having a laser tag chapter is almost customary and anyways it was fun to write so deal with it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is short but with luck Ill be posting another chapter today as well anyways

“We’re doing this in teams,” Mark announced.

“And the teams are couples.” Jack finished for him.

The two were stood holding their laser guns like sentries on one of the large foam blocks. They’d planned a day of lasertag and drug their childhood friends along into it, even though Dan or Phil didn’t know anyone else here. So there they stood- Dan, laser gun thrown over his shoulder, hand linked into Phil’s and Phil with his gun in the holster belt they’d each been given along with their vests. Phil’s mom had promised to drop by the place to check on them but hadn’t given any specific time zone, so they’d be faking their romance all day.

Dan ran his eyes and took in the lay out. The room was all blacks, he could jam with that. There were walls and blocks of black foam as shields, a few nylon rope webs from floor to ceiling near walls and a pit of some chunks of foam in the center of the arena. Another couple- people Mark was close with, and mentioned to Dan a lot, was Ethan and Tyler. They’d known they were soulmates since the first day of Ethan’s freshman year and Tyler’s sophomore year. There was also a guy named Shane, who looked like he’d been forced there by the one he was with, Ryland.

“Alright. The game starts in five,” Mark said, pointing to the timer ticking down till the start.

“You have that long to hide, choose you base, pick strategies,” Jack added. He hoped down, then helped Mark down and the two fled to a wall on the other side of the pit.

Dan pulled Phil by the hand near a net and behind a wall. Phil crouched down and Dan began whispering to Phil.

“We can play it to our needs to take out the stronger sides of each team or the weaker parts. If we want to take out the weaker counterparts, it’ll be easy at the start and then hardgoing. We’ll be left with Ryland and Tyler, and the chances they’ll go after us are higher because we took out their partners but they might try to hit Mark and Jack. It’s a risk but I know Mark is better than anyone else here and he’d lay out his laser-life to protect Jack from being hit. The option of having someone take those two out for us might be good.

“But, then again, we could always snipe Tyler and trick Ethan into joining up with us, pretend we saw Shane hit him, and use him till we’ve either got Mark or Jack left against the two of us. We could win this so easily, no sweat.” 

Phil looked at him like he was nuts, one eyebrow raised. Dan laughed heartily.

“Sorry, sorry, Mark and I used to come here all the time when we were like eight. Wanna just wing it?” He asked, his smile still reaching his eyes. Phil laughed in relief; he wasn’t a total wacko.

“Yeah. Let’s just have fun.” Phil said. The timer started beeping. The laser battle would start in 10.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Dan and Phil’s vest glowed a green-blue target- their team colour -and Dan scrambled up the net. Phil crouched on his stomach near the wall. From atop the net, Dan shot Ryland in the back, who had been walking casually over to where Shane was hidden poorly behind a foam block. Phil shot Tyler’s yellow target as he tried running in between foam walls. Mark and Jack were now smartly neck-deep in the foam pit.

Shane’s purple light went out and Dan snapped his attention to the yellow laser shooter. Ethan. Dan hadn’t considered that Mark had done this with other friends, and realized he’d seen Ethan at one of Mark’s laser parties before. It was during junior year and Ethan had been a sophomore. That, of course had been before his hair was dyed a bright, identifiable blue. 

Dan snapped out of his haze when Phil hit Ethan’s vest directly in the center circle of his front. Ethan’s gun and jaw dropped, shocked. Dan smiled at his pro soulmate. He hadn’t been expecting it, but it was a good surprise.

Suddenly, someone jabbed him in the back with their gun. Dan turned around, almost falling off the top of the net. It was Jack. His vest was taken off and slung over his shoulder. 

“Hey, I’m on timeout for a minute to come over here and tell ye that Phil’s mum just walked in and she’s lookin fer our arena. The attendant told Markie that she knew parents are a fookin buzzkill so she’s just letting her look round all the arenas fer ya and us or ‘the kids who all have brightly dyed hair that my son is friends with.’ At least as yer mum calls us.” Jack told them, pointing the last bit like an inside joke to Phil, grinning. Phil groaned.

“Ugh, thanks, Jack.” He acknowledged tiredly. Jack nodded and jogged back to the foam pit, his head ducked and hands making a _T_.

“We’re visible here from the entrance, Phil.” Dan said, a bundle of nerves stirring in the pit of his stomach. He could hear her calling thanks to the attendant and nearing the door. He heard the door opening, and he did it. He squished his eyes shut, pressed Phil against the foam wall and kissed him. Phil let out a muffled, confused sound into Dan’s mouth but heard a loud ‘Aww’ from the vicinity of the door and melted into it. Dan pulled away after a moment without looking into Phil’s eyes. Something in him _hurt_. Why did it hurt?

Phil grabbed Dan by the hand and was leading him to the door, to greet his mother. Dan’s heart was racing. He couldn’t believe he’d done that. In his distraction, he forgot to take off their vests or throw up _T_ hand signs to announce they needed a minute. Their teal lights flashed red for a moment and then went out. He heard Jack call out in victory. Mark shot Jack’s vest promptly after and laughed as he was tackled into the deep pit of foam.  
Phil hugged his mum with a “Hey,”. She pulled Dan into the hug and squeezed them both nearly breathless. 

“I’m only on my lunch break, dears, but I thought we could get pizza for all your brightly coloured friends.” She said amiably. Dan shrugged and Phil nodded.

Jack’s head popped out of the foam and called out.

“Somebody said pizza?” He asked. Mark’s head popped out and smiled deviously.

 

~~~

Three pizzas in and half dead, Dan was laying out across a whole bench. He still hadn’t made direct comments or words to his counterpart. ‘ _Counterpart, Danny Boy, soulmate, whatever it’s going to be called. That means you’re going to have to face him sometime._ ’ Jack was sat in Mark’s lap. Ethan was layed on the floor with Tyler prodding him in the side with his shoe and telling him it was a laser-tag and pizza place, that isn’t very clean. Shane and Ryland left after helping burn through the first one and a half pizzas, they had something else to do. 

“My body…” Dan croaked. “It’s going into insulin shock. Go on without me. Phil, tell my mother I loved her.” He put a hand over his heart, and lolled his tongue out. Phil laughed and poked his belly. Dan was suddenly aware of how close his face was to Phil’s bum and sat up, hoping his blush was undetectable.

“Oh, you’re alive. And I was planning such a nice funeral.” Mark said, shaking his head.

“Mark!” Phil said in fake shock. “I wait eighteen years to find him and you’re just going to kill him a month after we’ve met!” Dan and Mark laughed. 

“Well, I’d better get Jack and myself out of here. Before we buy another pizza and _actually_ go into an insulin shock. Phil’s right about waiting our whole lives to meet each other. Wouldn’t do any good to die because of pizza so soon after we meet.” Mark said, gently shifting Jack off of him.

“At least I’d die with you, c’mon, I was comfy.” Jack groaned and stretched.

“I have to get him off of this dirty pizza floor and back onto the dirty home floor.” Tyler said tiredly, prodding Ethan again. Dan looked across the table at Ethan who batted away Tyler’s foot and squirmed a little whilst laughing. He saw his shirt roll up a bit and “Why is he laying on the floor?” in dark brown, neat handwriting across his hipbone. ‘ _Some things never change, I suppose,_ ’ Dan thought. ‘ _I hope that can go for other soulmates as well._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working on handling my typo issue ( Its not just in my writing its in my personal messages too scream )  
> anyways  
> u know this drill  
> kudos & comments  
> please  
> pls


	5. Just Say It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How far can you push you luck? What happens when you run out of it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ren; n.: Short for parent, nonbinary or otherwise neutral equivalent to 'mom' or 'dad'

“About earlier,” Dan started, sitting tersely on the edge of Phil’s bed. Phil shook his head.

“No. I get it. It’s been a month and most romantic soulmates kiss as soon as they meet and don’t stop for a year til they’re used to each other. It would have only made sense.”

“We’re….. Alright?” Dan asked, a little surprised. No one had ever had so much patience with anyone else, let alone with _him_.

“Of course we are, silly.” Phil said brightly.

He turned around and pulled his shirt off . Dan’s heart constricted and he thought he might never breath again. Phil reached into a drawer and put a new one on. Dan’s heart released it’s stifling grip on his breath.

‘ _I’ve got to think about something else. Even soulmates have had falling outs over trying to make it more or less than it was meant to be. Don’t do that to yourself, or worse, to him._ ’ Dan’s thoughts were beating him up.

“What’re you thinking about?” Phil asked serenely, laying on the bed and putting his arms under his head. He looked at his ceiling full of plastic stars like he was actually stargazing. Dan’s pulse quickened and he moved his gaze away from the angel next to him and to the stars. He searched for something in them, like Phil did.

“I dunno, really.” Dan said vaguely.

“C’mon, Dan, we’re soulmates. You can tell me.” Phil said, turning onto his side and resting his head in his hand, elbow planted firmly on the bed.

“Soulmates… Some people don’t get them. Some people don’t have marks. Some people lose theirs. I can’t imagine living like that.” Dan said, opening up a little. He layed back. Phil’s hand grasped his, the first time they’d held hands without it being for a show.

“I can’t imagine living without you, either.” Phil said. He turned back over. 

They fell asleep, hand in hand and gazing at the false glows.

 

~~~

Dan woke up first. He was almost spooned into Phil. His shoulder had over lapped Phil’s during the night. He pulled away carefully, not waking him. He stood next to the bed taking things in. It’d been a week and things were clicking into place for him. He was never an early-to-wake type but today he found clarity in the morning.

He had become used to sleeping in the same bed as Phil. He never wanted to wake up away from him. He had become slightly used to his smell, so it didn’t hit him when he smelled his sheets but it enveloped him when they were near enough. His heart seemed to calm and yet pick up the pace when he saw him enter a room.

‘ _I am so, so,_ so _whipped._ ’ Dan thought to himself.

Phil took a waking-up breath and stretched. He looked at Dan and smiled.

“You’re all blurry, Dan.” He said in his half-awake daze. Dan laughed and handed Phil his glasses. “Mind going and starting tea, as well?” 

“Oh, fine, alright.” Dan said in an over dramatic tone.

In the kitchen Dan saw the time displayed on the oven. _10:34_. Phil’s parents had already left for work. He set the kettle to boil the water. He spaced out, his head burning with thoughts he couldn’t clear. He couldn’t do this anymore. It had to end somewhere. The lies had to stop, the truth had to come out.

Phil trudged into the kitchen still in his pyjamas, and yawning.

“So, we’ve got that picnic my mum wanted go to today, and I think Jack’s family is going which means Mark will be there, too.” Phil said as he poured tea leaves into the kettle.

Dan nodded.

They spent their day lazily, lounged in Phil’s room and scrolling through social media, occasionally messaging each other even though they were across the room.

Around two pm, Phil got off the bed.

“Time to get properly dressed, Danny Boy.” Phil announced. “Picnic’s in half an hour.” Dan groaned but complied.

~~~

The picnic was a clusterfuck of mothers who’d organized, a few fathers stood around a set of grills, a few other parents of varying genders eating and watching kids and a proper spectrum of differently aged children and teens. Dan and Phil were sat on a blanket Phil’s mom had brought whilst she tried in vain to save muffins she tried to bake in the bonfire one of the other rens had started. 

Dan and Phil’s hands were clung together and they sat very close. All Dan could think was to hope that Phil couldn’t feel his racing pulse. He was afraid of what would happen. But it had to happen. When things settled, Dan stood up.

' _Just say it. Just say it._ ' his thoughts pressured the mantra into him.

“I’m sorry, Phil, but I can’t do this anymore. No more lies.” His hands were shaking, he felt like he was going to puke but he hadn’t eaten yet. “I can’t keep lying to you or your mum or mine, and when she gets back, I’m telling her. No more lies.” He turned from Phil without waiting for the information to settle in. 

“I am not in a relationship with Phil Lester.” Dan said loudly. Mark’s mom dropped her plate. Jack’s dad dropped a patty into the fire of a grill. But Phil’s mum. God, oh god. Her hands flew over her mouth, her body shook. “And I want more than what destiny built for us. I can’t see myself as his friend, soulmate or no. I have to go.”

And with that, Dan took off running. He ran from the crowd that began murmuring. He ran from Phil, before he could see his face. He ran from all the problems he’d dumped there and started there. He made his way to the swing sets they’d sat on at the beginning of the week. They’d eaten icecream that day. He sat in a swing and felt his heartbeat slow, slow, slow. He closed his eyes felt his mind empty.

“Dan.” Phil ran up, calling to him and out of breath. “Dan!” Dan instinctively jerked back. He’d come for a fight, Dan was sure. Things would blow up worse than they already had. Why did he have to make it worse?

“Dan,” Phil said as he stopped. He stayed an arm’s length away. 

“What, Phil?” Dan asked somewhat harshly. “Why does this have to happen? Can’t you leave it alone? Leave me alone?”

“No, Dan. No, I cannot.” Phil said firmly. There was a worried determination in his eyes. 

“And why, pray tell, is that?” Dan asked, standing and stepping close enough that they were nearly nose to nose. Phil grabbed his face and kissed him. Dan’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open before he thought about it. Phil took it as invitation and kissed him harder, more deeply, pressing meaning into the kiss.

“That’s why, you dumby.” He said, stepping back and taking a breath.

“Phi- I- What? What the everloving fuck?” Dan asked, not angry but confused.

“How was I supposed to tell you, Dan?” Phil replied softly. “You seemed to have made it so clear it was just platonic. I… I thought I’d hurt you, like my mark was always some kind of foreboding.” He didn’t meet Dan’s eyes.

"You just say it." Dan told him before he kissed Phil again, pouring everything he had into the kiss. He let out the frustration of the week, the worry he’d had. But he also gave his heart, everything that he’d ever hoped for his whole life that he could have now, with Phil. He couldn’t imagine anyone else as his soulmate. 

“OOOoooOOO, Philly! GET! THE! D!” Dan heard Jack call. Mark and his green haired partner were running up to them.

“CALLED IT!” Mark hollered.

Dan took his face from Phil’s to shout back.

“ _IMPLIED IT!_ ”

~~~

Almost everyone was born with it. A set of words somewhere on their body. Some call it fate, destiny. Some never find theirs and some lose theirs. But some, some _know_ it is meant to be and some find more in theirs than anyone else could ever hope to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me writing this last chapter: Y E E T  
> kudos & comments for this finally finished shitpost

**Author's Note:**

> anyways Im mcfurkcibg losing it.  
> why am I doing this to myself  
> anyways  
> Kudos & Comments for a starving artist


End file.
